Rim construction



' Mar ch 10, 1936.

A. H. BROWN, JR

RIM CONSTRUCTION Filed May 3, 1935 40 tion adjacent the wheel rim as a different frustofrusto-conical portion. These inner frusto-coni- 40 Patented 10, 1936 v 2,033,876

" UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BIIVI CONSTRUQTION Alexander B. Brown, Jr., Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Transit Itesearch Corporation, New York, N Y a corporation of New York Application May 3, 1933, Serial No. 669,228 '7 Claims. (01. 295-31) This invention relates to vehicle wheels of the accompanying drawing, wherein my invention is type suitable for use on rail vehicles and has illustrated by way, of example and not in a limitfor its object to provide a rail contacting tread ing sense, and in which or tire therefor which has long wearing qualities Figure 1 is a side elevation of a wheel embody- 5 and which will be quiet in operation. n y n on; 5

It is known that various machine elements are Figure 2 is a cross section on the line 2-2 of more quiet. in operation if they be fabricated Figure 1; I from laminations. n the same theory, a lami- Figure 2a is an enlarged view of a portion of nated tire for rail service is more quiet during Figure 2.

in operation and it is therefore the prime object Figures 3, 4, and 5 are views similar to Figure 2 of this invention to provide a tire fabricated of showing modifications. laminations in such manner that it will give sat- As illustrated in Figures 1, 2, and 2a., the wheel isfactory service over a long period of time. is designed for use in rail vehicles and has the Gears and other machine elements always oprim member i, the flange Z, the tread or tire t,

crate against smooth surfaces. However, in the and the ring l. The flange is annular an as 15 case of a rail contacting tire the rail is rough, shown, is integral with the rim member and there are cross overs and rail joints to be conextends radially beyond the periphery of the tire stantly encountered and the tire is subjected gento contact with the rail and serve in gui h erally to very severe conditions. It is therefore wheel. The ring is detachably secured to the 0 an object of this invention to provide thin lamiedge of the rim member opposite the flange by nations of equal diameter and of hard metal, suitable means, such as the bolts 5 and the nuts 6. such as sheet steel, andto maintain them in as- The tire is formed of the thin circular metallic sembly under continuous compression ofsuch laminations l which are formed of hard metal, magnitude as to be capable of resisting deformasuch as sheet steel, and which serve as wear tion during service. elements or tread elements for contacting with 2% In the case of planar laminations, it has been Y the rail. The laminations are individually yieldfound dimcult to prevent sand and gravel from able or resilient ring members which are alike working between the laminations, thereby caus and have equal external diameters and'also equal ing local distortion and consequently an irregular internal diameters. These laminations have close track surface. It is therefore another object to fitting engagement with the periphery of the to provide laminations which, in preferred forms are rim member. The laminations are frusto-conical of such shape that all tendencies to distort will and angularly disposed with respect to the pebe resisted by a number of other laminations and riphery of the rim member, when viewed in cross that such resistance will be oflered circumfersection. Also the laminations nest one within entially of all the laminations. More specifically, the other and to increase the spr n ne 0f h 35 it is an object to provide laminations of frustoassembly, each lamination has the inner and conical shape adapted to nest one within the outer frusto-conical portions 8 and 9 respectively other and to enhance the springiness of the aswhich connect in each other, the inner r sembly by forming that portion of each laminaconical portion having less slope than the outer cone of less slope, so that each lamination may cal portions imperfectly nest within each other. he said to be composed of two vfrusto-cones in The laminations 1 are inclined outwardly toseries. A further object of the invention is to ward the flange 2 and this flange has the integral provide a tire as above described and to increase portion l0 presenting a face corresponding to the the sound deadening qualities thereof by insertshape of the adjacent lamination. The ring 4 has 4 ing between the laminations a material, such as the overhanging portion ll presenting a face corshellac, cloth canvas, fibre, lead, and the like. responding to the face of the adjacent lamina- Another object is to provide a wheel rim par- 'tion. As a result, the flange and the ring nest tlcularly" adapted to receive such a tire as is dewith the laminations respectively adjacent therescribed above in order to maintain the tire under to, the nesting, however, being imperfect. To inthe most favorable operating conditions. crease the sound deadening properties of the tire, Other objects and advantages, either directly I provide the spacer means l2 between and sepadescribed or indirectly accruing from the favorrating the laminations. This spacer means is in able relation of parts, will become hereinafter the nature of thin layers ofsound deadening mamore fully apparent as reference is bad to the terial, such as shellac, cloth, canvas, fibre, lead, 55

and the like, with a layer between adjacent laminations.

The ring 4 is of heavy and substantial construction and is adapted to be effectively secured in place to maintain the laminations in assembly under continuous compression of such magnitude that the laminations are capable of resisting deformation during service. Also the compression is such that a frictional locking engage ment is set up between the adjacent laminations.

and the laminations respectively adjacent the flange and the ring. Furthermore, the construction is such that all loadings and consequently tendencies to distort will be resisted by a number of laminations and that such resistance will be offered over their entire circumferences.

Figure 3 shows a modification which differs mainly from the construction shown in Figures 1 and 2 in that the ring I3 is provided for nesting within the innermost lamination M. This ring is formed separately from the rim member l5 and the rail contacting flange l6 and it presents a face conforming -to the shape of the adjacent lamination.

In the modification shown in Figure 4, the tire s formed of the frusto-conical laminations I! with the layers ill of sound deadening material therebetween, the laminations and layers being of the same construction as those of Figures 1 and 2. However, the laminations are inclined outwardly away from the rail contacting flange l9 and the retaining ring 20 presents the face 2| conforming to the shape of the adjacent lamination. In this modification, a separate ring 22 is provided encircling the rim member and abutting the flange l9 and overhanging the adjacent lamination and presenting a face conforming to the shape thereof.

As shown in Figure 5, the laminations 23 are planar ring members which are maintained in assembly under continuous compression in the same manner as the laminations of the previous constructions, the heavy ring member 24 and the rail contacting flange 25, however, presenting planar faces opposed to the laminations.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A tire for rail vehicles, comprising a pluormed as the frustums said laminations being adapted to imperfectly nest one within the other, whereby relative radial movement under impact and interference of respective sound vibrations result, and means for retaining said laminations in nested assembly.

3. In a wheel for rail vehicles, a flange and 5 rim member, a plurality of frusto-conical metallic tread elements encircling said rim member in close fitting engagement with "the periphery thereof and imperfect fitting engagement with each other whereby relative radial movement 10 under impact and interference of respective sound vibrations result, and means for maintaim, ing said laminations in nested assembly on said rim member.

4. In a wheel for rail vehicles, a flange and i5 rim member, a plurality of frusto-conical metallic tread elements each encircling said rim member inclose fitting engagement with the periphery thereof and imperfect fitting with each other whereby relative radial movement under impact and interference of respective sound vibrations result, thin spacer means separating said laminations each from each, and means for maintaining said laminations in fixed nested assembly on said rim member. 25

5. In a wheel for rail vehicles, a flange and rim member, a plurality of thin frusto-conical metallic tread elements each encircling said rim member in close fitting engagement with the perlphery thereof and imperfect fitting with each other whereby relative radial movement under impact and interference of respective sound vibrations result, sound insulating layers spacing said laminations each from each and means for maintaining said laminations in compressed as- 35 sembly on said rim member.

6. In a wheel for rail vehicles, rim member and a rail contacting flange integral therewith, a 1aminated tire comprising a plurality of imperfectly fitting similar circular metallic elements, each of said elements being composed of a plurality of definitely sloped frustrated cones integrallysecured together, a substantially non-resilient material slightly separating said laminations each from each, whereby relative radial movement 45 under impact and interference of respective sound vibrations result, and means for maintaining said laminations in nested assembly on said rim member.

7. In a wheel for rail vehicles, a flange and 6p rim member and a, plurality of imperfectly fitting metallic ring members encircling said rim and constituting tread elements, said ring members being angularly disposed with respect to the periphery of said rim member when viewed in 56 cross section whereby relative radial movement under impact and interference of respective sound vibrations result.

ALEXANDER H. BROWN, JR. 

